Question 1

Mill was married to

Accepted Answer

John Stuart Mill was married to Harriet Taylor. They shared a close and profound intellectual partnership, and she is often credited with having a significant influence on his work and ideas.

Question 2

In what way is utilitarianism a response to the social conditions of the nineteenth century? Do you believe that it is still relevant today? Explain your answer.

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Question 3

Do you believe that pleasure is the ground of morality? Why or why not?

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Question 4

Altruism is opposed to

Accepted Answer

Altruism, which is the selfless concern for the well-being of others, is directly opposed to egoism, the ethical theory that treats self-interest as the foundation of morality.

Question 5

Who said that the self-centered passions had little variety?

Accepted Answer

Bertrand Russell, a British philosopher, is known for his assertion that self-centered passions have little variety, emphasizing the limitations of a life focused primarily on self-interest.

Question 6

Who wrote that it would be sad for a ghost to be without a body?

Accepted Answer

Lin Yutang, a notable Chinese writer, expressed this sentiment, highlighting the melancholy aspect of a ghost's existence without a physical form.

Question 7

What notion did Mill introduce into utilitarianism?

Accepted Answer

Mill introduced the notion of the quality of pleasures into utilitarianism, arguing that some pleasures are of higher quality than others and thus more desirable.

Question 8

Who wrote of the tyranny of the majority?

Accepted Answer

Alexis de Tocqueville, a French political thinker and historian, wrote extensively about the concept of the tyranny of the majority in his work "Democracy in America." He explored how majority rule in a democracy could potentially oppress minority groups.

Question 9

What is Bentham's view of pleasure? What is Mill's? What are the problems associated with each?

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Question 10

How many functions did education have, for Mill?

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Question 11

What was the crucial difference between two pleasures, for Bentham?

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Question 12

Mill began to pay the high price of his education when he was

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Question 13

What, for Mill, was the principle cause of an inability to be happy for extended periods of time?

Accepted Answer

Mill believed that a lack of mental cultivation, or the development of one's intellectual and emotional capacities, was a primary reason for an inability to sustain happiness.

Question 14

Who wrote Utilitarianism ?

Accepted Answer

John Stuart Mill wrote "Utilitarianism," which is a foundational text in the philosophy of utilitarianism.

Question 15

Who said that it was better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied?

Accepted Answer

This statement is attributed to John Stuart Mill, a British philosopher and political economist, who made this comparison in his work on utilitarianism to argue that the quality of pleasures matters, not just the quantity.

Question 16

Outline the forms of utilitarianism developed by both Bentham and Mill. What are the principle differences between them? Which do you believe is the most defensible, and why?

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Question 17

How is Bentham's view of morality different from that of Kant? Which is the more realistic? Does this also mean that it is the most correct? Explain your answer, taking care to define how you understand the term "realistic. "

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Question 18

Which ancient school would Mill have most identified with?

Accepted Answer

Mill would have most identified with the Garden, which is associated with Epicureanism. Epicureans valued pleasure as the highest good, which aligns with Mill's utilitarian philosophy that emphasizes happiness and pleasure as the ultimate ends.

Question 19

"Altruism" is from the Latin word for

Accepted Answer

"Altruism" is derived from the Latin word "alter," which means "other," reflecting the concept's focus on the welfare of others.

Question 20

Who referred to a "moral thermometer"?

Accepted Answer

Jeremy Bentham referred to a "moral thermometer" as a tool for measuring the moral impact of actions, particularly in the context of utilitarianism, which he founded. This concept was part of his broader efforts to quantify and assess the moral worth of actions based on their outcomes.

Quiz 12: The Utilitarian: John Stuart Mill